Work with a cool engine

Performance Gain:

Quiet power steering pump, remedy power steering leaks

Complementary Modification:

Change power steering fluid reservoir

The steering system used in Volvo V70s is known as power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. Rotating the steering wheel spins a small pinion gear, thus sliding a toothed rack left or right. The ends of the rack attach to tie-rods that steer the front wheels. A hydraulic pump, powered by the engine accessory belt, forces steering fluid into hoses leading to pistons in the steering rack. A hydraulic valve in the steering rack varies the hydraulic fluid pressure in the two cylinders, dependent on how fast or forcefully the pinion gear is rotated. This multiplies the driver's force in steering the wheels.

When a power steering pump begins to fail, it will emit a groan when steering from side to side or you will notice increased steering effort. Of course, the pump could leak also, but a noisy and weak pump is most common. If you lose function of your power steering or it takes a greatly increased effort to steer your vehicle, remove the drive belt and inspect the power steering pump shaft. If you can slide the pulley out of the power steering pump, the shaft is broken. You will have to replace the power steering pump.

In this article, I'll go over the steps involved with replacing and bleeding the power steering pump.

Keep in mind that when your car was serviced before, parts may have been replaced with different size fasteners used in the replacement. The sizes of the nuts and bolts we give may be different from what you have, so be prepared with different size sockets and wrenches.

Protect your eyes, hands and body from fluids, dust and debris while working on your vehicle. If you're working with the electrical system, disconnect the battery before beginning. Always catch fluids in appropriate containers and properly dispose of any fluid waste. Recycle parts, packaging and fluids when possible. Do not work on your vehicle if you feel the task is beyond your ability.

Vehicle models change and evolve as they grow older, so the vehicle shown in our illustrations may vary slightly from yours. If something seems different, let us know and share your info to help other users. Do you have questions or want to add to the article? Leave a comment below. When leaving a comment, please leave your vehicle information.

Raise and support the front of your vehicle safely. See our tech article on jacking up your car.

Figure 1

The power steering pump on V70 models is mounted to the right side of the engine (green arrow).

Remove the engine drive belt from the power steering pulley and lay it aside. See our tech article on engine drive belt replacing. Use a 14mm wrench (red arrow) to relieve belt tension. Then remove the belt (green arrow).

Use a 16mm wrench to remove the PS pump high-pressure line (green arrow). The high-pressure steering line is sealed with an O-ring (red arrow). Be careful not to lose the O-ring when removing the line. It can get stuck in the pump and fall out when the pump is removed. Once the line is removed, inspect the O-ring and replace it if necessary (O-ring is available separately). Remove the hose slowly. Have an oil pan or rag ready to catch the PS fluid.

This photo shows the top of the power steering pump and the 12mm fasteners. The green arrows point to two of the power steering pump fasteners. The red arrow points to the lower fastener with a ratchet installed. Remove all three fasteners.

Place the power steering pump on the workbench. Remove the pulley (red arrow) using a pulley removal tool (green arrow). Then transfer the pulley over to the new power steering pump and install with the installer (inset). Transfer the hose bracket over, remove the 12mm fastener and install on the new pump. Before starting the engine, fill the power steering reservoir with clean fluid to the MAX level on the dipstick. Start the engine and turn the steering wheel fully left and right three times. Turn the engine off, check the fluid level and add fluid until it reaches MAX on the dipstick. When full, the fluid should be clear and foam free. Foam or bubbles is a sign of air in the system.

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